Explain how you understand that both the robber and the respectable citizen have both lost the original simplicity of man? How do you understand this original simplicity? How do they lose it? How is this liked being caged?
(Note: Of course, the tree is an explicit reference to uncarved wood/original simplicity)
2. Great and Small 87
Why is it in the light of Tao nothing is best, nothing is worst?
Why is it he who want to have right without wrong does not understand the principles of heaven and earth?
How is the mind of the wise man the true conqueror?
3. Confucius and the Madman 58
How do you understand the idea that When the world makes sense/ The wise have work to do? And, that Never, never/ Teach virtue more? (Whats the problem with teaching virtue?)
How do you understand that it is useful to be useless? (Or, what is the problem with being useful?)
4. Tao 150
To name a name is to delimit a thing. How do names delimit things?
How do you understand, Where there is no measure, there is no beginning of any thing?
How do you understand that Tao is beyond words and beyond things? In what sense(s)?
How do you understand that Tao is a name that indicates without defining?
5. You can pick a passage of your choosing from anywhere in the Chuang Tzu and analyze it. If you do this, make sure you clearly indicate what passage youre referring to; use both the title and page number to this end. Again, the idea is to examine the passage, or just a section or even just a quote from the passage in light of one or more of the foundational ideas (and as noted below, emptiness and original simplicity are especially significant). Also, as with all the prompts, the idea is to reference at least two other readings that were assigned for this module.
Again, for prompts 1-4, you don’t have to answer all the questions that are listed in each of them, just pick whatever one makes the most sense and examine it closely and thoroughly. Start there. In the end, they are all related so to answer one with a deep understanding is to answer all of them. Just do your best and if you can see how all of these questions relate to each other, you are doing very well! (Of course, you are also free to strike out completely on your own and not follow any of these questions. If you go this route, be sure you have a clear idea of how the foundational ideas are expressed in your passage. This is what the paper has to be about.)
Notes:
You must support your arguments with the material that was assigned and you must cite it accurately. (Parenthetical reference [in-text citation] is enough. You dont have to follow any style guide or rules just make sure your reader [that would be me] can find what youre pointing to.)
The use of outside sources is prohibited. All of the material you use and cite must come from what was assigned in this module. The whole idea of this class is to simply work with the assigned material, to explore and play with these ideas. Im not looking for perfection, just an honest effort. Do the work and trust yourself. (Just make sure your thinking is grounded in the texts. Use the foundational ideas to guide you.) If you use an uncited source and fail to cite it, you will get an F. Plagiarism is never acceptable.
Now, although all of the foundational ideas are, indeed, foundational, and Im inviting you to work with all of them, emptiness and uncarved wood (original simplicity) are especially significant as both directly point to the essence of the Tao. So, strive to see your passage in light of one or both. (Of course to see one is to see both. They just use slightly different words and ideas to point to the same thing. To see something in its original simplicity is to is emptily. A simple (or uncarved) mind is an empty mind. And so on.) To be able to see emptiness and/or original simplicity (uncarved wood) in this material will demonstrate great depth in your understanding, which is what you should be striving for.
If these ideas still feel a bit mystifying to you dont worry about it. Start with what you feel most comfortable with and go from there. Again, to dig deeply into any one of these foundational ideas and images is to touch on ALL of them. To explore nonaction is to see an absence of ego and egoic desire. It is simple action that doesnt carve. It comes of out emptiness, etc.
(In the initial stages of writing this essay you might consider free-writing. It may also be a good idea to run your passage through each of the foundational ideas and images listed in the study guide. This may help open up your thinking. Regardless of how you begin your writing process, in the end, you will need to support your arguments with the assigned material, the Chuang Tzu and supplemental readings. This is academic work so this is essential.)
*Above are the professor’s notes*
I will provide all the readings necessary.
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